UH OH?? Golden Knights Fail, Dallas Momentum After Hill Softy Gives Game 5, 4-2

The Vegas Golden Knights had two leads in the first 40 minutes but led for only about four minutes. Both Golden Knights leads were quickly followed by Dallas Stars goals as the pace and energy reached a frenetic level. The pressure mounted in the third period as the obvious momentum of the series shifted toward Dallas.

Dallas scored two goals in the final 10 minutes for a 4-2 win in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena Saturday. The Golden Knights again missed a chance to end the series and advance to the Stanley Cup Final. After a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Final, the Golden Knights now lead the series 3-2.

After a myriad of brilliant saves, it was a soft goal allowed by Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill midway through the third period that was the difference. Ty Dellandrea (2) scored on a wrister from the outside of the right circle, giving Dallas a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Dellandrea scored again two minutes later when Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague knocked Max Domi into Hill. Dellandrea (3) ripped the shot into the yawning cage.

Again, the goalies were outstanding, as it seemed shots were coming from all angles in all situations. Before the bad goal, Hill saved the game in the first period when Dallas bombarded the Golden Knights with 14 scoring chances. Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger similarly swallowed scoring chances his team yielded in the second period.

Hill was also spectacular early in the third period. He made an extraordinary diving save on Joel Kiviranta.

By the end of the second period, the game was tied 2-2. The teams traded scoring chances in the second period, though the Golden Knights had 10, compared to Dallas’s seven. The first period was almost entirely dominated by the Dallas Stars.

Early in the first period, Jack Eichel won a puck battle against a pair of Dallas defenders. Ivan Barbashev (6) took the loose puck to the net and stuffed it behind Oettinger.

However, less than two minutes later, Dallas capped a high-pressure sequence when Luke Glendenning (2) tipped Thomas Harley’s shot to erase the first Golden Knights lead.

After Hill padlocked the net, despite significant pressure by Dallas for the remainder of the first period, the Golden Knights scored early in the second.

Barbashev disrupted a quick Dallas breakout and kept offensive pressure alive. Defenseman Shea Theodore slipped a pass across the slot for Chandler Stephenson, who ripped a bardown wrister over Oettinger.

And again, Dallas didn’t let mold grow on the lead. Just 2:09 later, the Stars again crashed the net. Jason Robertson’s (7) initial shot was blocked, but he chipped the puck over Hill, who didn’t see the fluttering puck sail over his shoulder.

Through the course of the game, Dallas had more than 62% of the shot attempts, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn, suspended for two games after a Game 3 cross-check on Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, will return for Game 6 at American Airlines Center. Dallas is the fifth team to make it to a sixth game when trailing 3-0 in a Conference Final. No team has ever rallied from down 3-0 to win in the Western Conference Final.